Sleep tips!
Last night I got such amazing sleep and because of this I had an amazing day. Sleep is my number one priority and lately I have not been getting the full amount of sleep I need. It’s been lots of late nights, tossing and turning with weird dreams. So if you aren’t sleeping then lets tackle some facts about sleep that will allow you to get more sound sleep.
Sleep has two internal mechanisms. The Circadian Rhythm has a variety of functions such as fluctuations of wakefulness, metabolism, temperature, and hormone regulation. This controls your timing of sleep and is highly effected by environmental cues like Light and temperature. The second mechanism is the sleep-wake homeostasis. This keeps track of your need to sleep and reminds the body when to sleep and how intense. There are a lot of factors that could effect this like medications and food, stress etc.
In order to work with both internal mechanisms then making a habit out of pre-sleep routine is a great way to get this to be more consistent. Earlier today I made a list of 6 tips that I recommend before bed. They are:
1. When it comes to your mattress don't buy cheap. You spend 1/3 of your life sleeping so why would you buy something that isn't going to aid in your sleep?
2. Take melatonin if you are having a hard time with your rhythm and sleep. The best thing is to take it at the same time every night. This aids in getting your natural rhythm to start creating sleepiness at that time!
3. Stay hydrated! Your cells need water. We are 70% made of water after all!! Add some lemon in the morning to help those kidneys flush!!
4. Don’t eat late. In Chinese medicine the organs run on a clock. You want to eat early so that way you don't have heartburn, bad sleep, or creating sluggish organs.
5. Eat nutritious meals! Find foods that are right for you!! Food is medicine, sugar, high processed garbage is not your friend, no matter how convenient. Veggies are awesome!
6. Mindfully eat, meditate, and become aware of your breathing! When we are mindful it allows us to be present. It also creates less is more mentality because when you are mindful about eating you indeed eat less and feel full faster! Same goes for sleep! When you are mindful about sleeping then you stay away from screens and tvs an hour before. You create a routine to allow for that beautiful sleep!
Now let’s add a few more to make your sleep the best it can possibly be.
7. Exercise 20-30 minutes a day and not right before bed. This will get rid of excess energy while creating a healthy body. It’s best not to exercise before bed because it is a sympathetic system stimulant and what you want to do is become restful.
8. Avoid caffeine. It’s a stimulant just like exercise and will instead create wakefulness, that will only keep you up staring at a wall.
9. Use essential oils (High quality oils otherwise the cheap stuff can be toxic.) Valerian root oil on your feet with some sock (psst it’s really potent and smelly so 1 drop is way more than enough.) or Lavendar oil helps with relaxation. There are other blends that can allow for restful sleep. I highly recommend young living oils, for their quality and purity. I know I’ve tried numerous brands and others don’t compare.
10. Try reading before bed. Reading works the mind and when you have an overactive mind, reading will exercise it until it becomes tired. Think of it like a workout for your mind.
11. Don’t sleep in. I know that it’s an amazing feeling to sleep until noon but now you may go to bed later. This is how you go against your bodies natural rhythm. If you do sleep in then make sure to workout harder through the day to get exhausted by your regular bedtime.
12. Sleep with a fan or a white noise machine. Sometimes that lack of noise can make it harder for you to sleep. Adding a background soothing noise can help relax.
Make sleep a habit by following a routine and stick with it. Add one thing to from that list above to your daily schedule. Do it everyday and after 30 days see where your sleep is? If it’s better than try adding more of the above actions to get the best sleep of your life. Sleep should be a priority in your life. The average person needs anywhere from 6-9 hours of sleep a day. Where do you fall on this schedule? Don’t know, then I recommend you invest in a sleep watch and start tracking your sleep. A really great investment, even if you do if for 6 months is the Whoop. It’s a great way to track your sleep, your strain and how you are recovering. That may allow you to incorporate some things on the list on those low recovery days to make sure you get a solid nights sleep.
Understanding that sleep is crucial for recovery, healing, and mental health is really important. When you can see that sleep literally is necessary for your brain, organs and moods to function then you realize how much you take it seriously. So what are you going to do first in order to get the best sleep possible? Are you going to take one tip or maybe 3 and charge it like a rhino! Or are you going to keep complaining about how tired you are and feel like crap? Like always the choice is up to you my friends. So make good girl or good boy choices!
Today was a 10!